Written Answers

Wednesday 13 December 2000

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available to each health board for head and neck combined multi-disciplinary cancer treatment in the current financial year and each of the three previous financial years.

Susan Deacon: Information is not available centrally in the format requested.

Community Care

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it currently makes available to carers of those with long-term chronic pain conditions.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under the Strategy For Carers In Scotland , we have asked local authorities to spend £10 million from this year on supporting unpaid carers, double the funding previously earmarked. The NHS Helpline provides a singe gateway to information and advice for carers and a major national media campaign was undertaken earlier this year to advertise the strategy and helpline. £500,000 is being awarded to the voluntary sector over the next three years to projects aimed at supporting carers across Scotland. These measures build on the support already provided to carers by health, social and housing services and should help carers of people with long-term chronic pain conditions.

Council Tax

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in each local authority area are liable to pay council tax and how many 2000-01 council tax reminders each local authority has issued to date.

Peter Peacock: Information on number of chargeable dwellings on valuation list for each authority is given in the table below. No information is collected centrally on number of council tax reminders issued.

  


Number of chargeable dwellings on 
valuation list as at 4 September 2000




Scotland


2,217,892




Aberdeen City


97,413




Aberdeenshire


93,158




Angus


48,449




Argyll & Bute


42,407




Clackmannanshire


20,591




Dumfries & Galloway


65,358




Dundee City


65,722




East Ayrshire


51,602




East Dunbartonshire


42,412




East Lothian


38,701




East Renfrewshire


35,233




Edinburgh, City of


203,178




Eilean Siar


12,545




Falkirk


62,835




Fife


151,536




Glasgow City


268,594




Highland


95,713




Inverclyde


37,520




Midlothian


32,502




Moray


35,634




North Ayrshire


60,867




North Lanarkshire


132,475




Orkney Islands


8,965




Perth & Kinross


60,639




Renfrewshire


77,806




Scottish Borders


49,189




Shetland Islands


9,482




South Ayrshire 


49,620




South Lanarkshire


126,844




Stirling 


34,727




West Dunbartonshire


41,983




West Lothian


64,192




  Source: As reported by councils in statistical return Council Tax Base 2000.

Dental Care

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultants in (a) restorative dentistry, (b) oral and maxillofacial surgery and (c) orthodontics there are in each health board area in 2000-01, expressed in both numerical terms and as a ratio of consultants to head of population in the health board area, and what the equivalent figures were in each of the last three years.

Susan Deacon: Provisional information on staff numbers at 30 September 2000 will not be available until January 2001. The information requested for the years 1997 to 1999, apart from maxillofacial surgeons who are not separately identified, is shown in tables 1 and 2. These tables should be read in conjunction with the notes below.

  Consultants in these dental specialties can and do offer services to patients from health board areas other than the one at which they are based. It should therefore be noted that the ratio of consultants to head of population does not necessarily reflect the level of consultant service available in any area.

  Table 1 – Consultants in Selected Dental Specialties by Health Board

  Headcount at 30 September

  





1997


1998


1999







Restorative Dentistry


Oral Surgery


Ortho-dontics


Restorative Dentistry


Oral Surgery


Ortho-dontics


Restorative Dentistry


Oral Surgery


Ortho-dontics




Scotland


 21


 22


 23


 21


 25


 24


 22


 27


 27




Argyll & Clyde 


- 


- 


 2


- 


- 


 2


- 


- 


 2




Ayrshire & Arran 


- 


 2


 2


- 


 2


 2


- 


 2


 2




Borders 


- 


- 


 1


- 


- 


 1


- 


- 


 1




Dumfries & Galloway 


- 


 1


 1


- 


 1


 1


- 


 1


 1




Fife 


- 


 2


 1


- 


 2


 1


- 


 2


 1




Forth Valley 


- 


 1


 2


- 


 1


 2


- 


 1


 3




Grampian 


 1


 2


 1


 1


 2


 1


 1


 2


 1




Greater Glasgow 


 13


 6


 5


 12


 8


 4


 13


 9


 6




Highland 


- 


 1


 2


- 


 1


 2


- 


 1


 2




Lanarkshire 


- 


 1


 2


- 


 1


 3


- 


 1


 3




Lothian 


 2


 2


 2


 2


 3


 2


 3


 4


 2




Orkney 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 




Shetland 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 




Tayside 


 5


 4


 2


 6


 4


 3


 5


 4


 3




Western Isles 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 




  Table 2 – Consultants in Selected Dental Specialties

  Headcount per 1,000,000 population by Health Board

  





1997


1998


1999







Restorative Dentistry


Oral Surgery


Ortho-dontics


Restorative Dentistry


Oral Surgery


Ortho-dontics


Restorative Dentistry


Oral Surgery


Ortho-dontics




Scotland


 4.1


 4.3


 4.5


 4.1


 4.9


 4.7


 4.3


 5.3


 5.3




Argyll & Clyde 


- 


- 


 4.7


- 


- 


 4.7


- 


- 


 4.7




Ayrshire & Arran 


- 


 5.3


 5.3


- 


 5.3


 5.3


- 


 5.3


 5.3




Borders 


- 


- 


 9.4


- 


- 


 9.4


- 


- 


 9.4




Dumfries & Galloway 


- 


 6.8


 6.8


- 


 6.8


 6.8


- 


 6.8


 6.8




Fife 


- 


 5.7


 2.9


- 


 5.7


 2.9


- 


 5.7


 2.9




Forth Valley 


- 


 3.6


 7.2


- 


 3.6


 7.2


- 


 3.6


 10.8




Grampian 


 1.9


 3.8


 1.9


 1.9


 3.8


 1.9


 1.9


 3.8


 1.9




Greater Glasgow 


 14.3


 6.6


 5.5


 13.2


 8.8


 4.4


 14.3


 9.9


 6.6




Highland 


- 


 4.8


 9.6


- 


 4.8


 9.6


- 


 4.8


 9.6




Lanarkshire 


- 


 1.8


 3.6


- 


 1.8


 5.3


- 


 1.8


 5.3




Lothian 


 2.6


 2.6


 2.6


 2.6


 3.9


 2.6


 3.9


 5.1


 2.6




Orkney 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 




Shetland 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 




Tayside 


 12.9


 10.3


 5.2


 15.5


 10.3


 7.7


 12.9


 10.3


 7.7




Western Isles 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 




  Note for Tables 1 and 2:

  1. Figures include honorary appointments.

  2. Rates per head of population are based on 1999 population estimates as at mid-June.

  3. Consultants in these specialties can and do offer services to patients in health board areas other than that in which they are based.

  4. Maxillofacial surgery is not separately classified in central data. These surgeons will be classified either as oral surgeons or plastic surgeons.

Dental Care

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for (a) an initial consultation with and (b) treatment by a consultant in (i) restorative dentistry; (ii) oral and maxillofacial surgery, and (iii) orthodontics in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The median waiting time for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant in restorative dentistry, oral surgery and orthodontics, by health board of residence, for the year to 30 June 2000 is given in table 1.

  Most orthodontic and restorative dentistry treatments carried out within the hospital and community health service settings are undertaken on an outpatient basis and information on waiting times for such treatments is not held centrally. The median waiting time for inpatient/day case treatment for oral surgery, by health board of residence, for the year to 30 June 2000 is given in table 2.

  Table 1

  NHS In Scotland: Median Waiting Time for a First Outpatient Appointment with a Consultant in Oral Surgery, Orthodontics and Restorative Dentistry, following Referral by a General Medical Practitioner/General Dental Practitioner, by Health Board of Residence. Year Ending 30 June 2000.

  





Median Waiting Time 
(Days)




Health Board


Oral Surgery


Orthodontics


Restorative Dentistry




Argyll & Clyde


93


90


144




Ayrshire & Arran


41


40


147




Borders


17


94


81




Dumfries & Galloway


80


78


147




Fife


63


149


72




Forth Valley


50


95


104




Grampian


67


205


105




Greater Glasgow


51


70


133




Highland


31


301


94




Lanarkshire


50


89


136




Lothian


106


47


74




Orkney


36


*


*




Shetland


37


*


*




Tayside


50


113


70




Western Isles


*


235


*




Scotland


56


93


90




  Table 2

  NHS In Scotland: Median Waiting Time For Inpatient/Day Case1 Treatment For Oral Surgery, By Health Board Of Residence. Year Ending 30 June 2000.

  


Health Board


Median Waiting Time 
(Days)




Argyll & Clyde


35




Ayrshire & Arran


77




Borders


21




Dumfries & Galloway


70




Fife


70




Forth Valley


48




Grampian


19




Greater Glasgow


35




Highland


63




Lanarkshire


34




Lothian


 9




Orkney


14




Shetland


 7




Tayside


 8




Western Isles


10




Scotland


22




  Source: ISD, Scotland.

  * Not applicable

  Notes:

  1. Scottish residents routinely admitted from the waiting list. Admissions via transfer are excluded.

Dental Care

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available to each health board for hospital consultant services in (a) restorative dentistry, (b) oral and maxillofacial surgery and (c) orthodontics in the current financial year and each of the previous three years.

Susan Deacon: Details of the level of funding for hospital consultants in restorative dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics are not held centrally. Health boards are given a unified budget to meet the health care needs of their resident populations. It is for boards to decide how best to utilise this funding to meet local and national priorities.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to raise the level of innovation in Scotland’s industrial base.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive, both directly and through the enterprise bodies, is involved in a wide range of initiatives to support innovation in Scotland’s industrial base. In addition, the Department of Trade and Industry operates, on a UK-wide basis, a number of schemes to encourage industrial innovation from which Scotland benefits. Initiatives include:

  encouraging the generation of ideas through, for example, Proof of Concept Funding, the Professionalisation of Commercialisation Funding and the setting up of Technology Ventures Scotland;

  promoting the mobilisation of ideas through, for example, the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, Faraday Partnerships, TCS (formerly the Teaching Company Scheme) and the LINK scheme;

  promoting the internal productivity of companies through schemes such as SMART and SPUR, and best practice initiatives such as Inside UK Enterprise.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is in relation to the development of biotechnology clusters.

Ms Wendy Alexander: In November 1999, Scottish Enterprise launched the "Framework for Action": a four-year £40 million strategy to grow the biotechnology cluster in Scotland.

  One year on, the cluster is growing faster than forecast. The number of new biotech companies, support and supply organisations and jobs in the cluster are all ahead of target at this stage. There are now 382 organisations in the Scottish cluster, a presence that is significant in UK and international terms. This is a result of new company creation, the growth of existing businesses and an increase in the number of organisations choosing to participate in the biotechnology cluster.

  20 new core biotech companies have been created since March 1999 and provided with vital support from the 11 biotechnology related incubator units across Scotland. Development finance has been provided from a range of sources with Scottish Equity Partners Ltd looking to put together a £75 million fund to invest across technology areas.

  Inward investment through LIS has also supported the growth of the cluster, with companies like Organon NV and Serologicals Ltd expanding their operations in Scotland. Global competitiveness has also improved and over the last 18 months STI activities have resulted in a total of £21 million worth of business for Scottish biotech organisations and a further £16 million of projected business in Asian, European and US markets.

  Scotland is becoming a world centre of activity in biotechnology. With our excellence in university research, the emergence of Biotech Parks, real success in manufacturing and a highly supportive Economic Development Agency, the biotechnology cluster is progressing towards maturity and self-sufficiency.

Fisheries

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what stage of proceedings the cases of Booker Aquaculture Ltd v The Scottish Ministers  and  Hydro Seafood GSP Ltd v The Scottish Ministers have reached.

Rhona Brankin: The Court of Session has asked the European Court of Justice, in respect of both cases, whether Community law requires Scottish Ministers to pay compensation for losses incurred as a result of steps taken to deal with the outbreak of disease on fish farms. A response is expected by the end of next year.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) white fish and (b) pelagic fish processed in Scotland is imported.

Rhona Brankin: Data on landings made in Scotland by non-UK vessels is published annually in Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00022-00.asp). Other import data is collected at UK level and information is not available separately for Scotland.

General Practitioners

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10985 by Susan Deacon on 21 November 2000, what the results were of the experiments using videoconferencing in GP surgeries.

Susan Deacon: The literature is mainly of limited pilot studies showing technological feasibility. It is likely that as the technology improves and prices fall, videoconferencing will, in time, become more routine. However, experience to date suggests that other developments such as "store and forward" of digital images and electronic transfer of data provide greater benefit to primary care than videoconferencing.

General Practitioners

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Telemedicine Action Forum has evaluated why the use of videoconferencing in GP surgeries is not more widespread.

Susan Deacon: To date, there has been no systematic evaluation of why videoconferencing facilities in GP surgeries are not more widespread.

General Practitioners

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10987 by Susan Deacon on 21 November 2000, why no targets have been set for the number of GP surgeries to have videoconferencing facilities by 2003.

Susan Deacon: In light of the current cost and quality of videoconferencing, the evidence is insufficiently compelling to recommend the widespread adoption of videoconferencing by GPs. This position will be kept under review and will be influenced by convincing evidence of benefit, improving technology, value for money and demand.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suffer from chronic pain, broken down by health board area.

Susan Deacon: This information is not available centrally.

Higher Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to (a) introduce payment of cash premiums of £750 to students from low income families and (b) allocate additional funds to higher education institutions who give places to students from low income backgrounds and, if so, whether it will publish full details of any such proposals, including costs and methods of implementation.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I have asked the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to devise a mechanism to provide additional support to institutions which reflects the extent to which they provide places for students from under-represented groups. I expect this to be funded by the council from an element of the £18 million the Executive has earmarked, for the first time, to support our wider access policy over the next three years. This will be a permanent feature of future funding and reflects our continuing commitment to widening access and helping ensure students have a positive learning experience and successfully complete their course. It is properly for SHEFC to determine the detail of how this should be implemented.

  This initiative is in addition to improvements in student support from 2001-02, particularly for those from low income backgrounds, which were announced in my answer to question S1W-11141 on 10 November.

Local Government Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4411 by Angus MacKay on 23 November 2000, what transfers to and from the local government settlement and changes to other programmes within the Scottish Block took place in 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Angus MacKay: These transfers and other changes are prior to the devolution settlement and are therefore set out in House of Commons papers Main Supply Estimates 1997-98 number 335, Summer Supply Estimates 1997-98 number 65, Spring Supply Estimates 1997-98 number 511, Winter Supply Estimates number 278, Main Supply Estimates 1998-99 number 635, Summer Supply Estimates number 783, Spring Supply Estimates 1998-99 number 237 and Winter Supply Estimates 1998-99 number 857.

Medical Research

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it currently makes available for research into chronic pain and its alleviation.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is currently funding six research projects on chronic pain to the total value of £417,000. It has funded 11 other studies on chronic pain, which have been completed within the last four years.

  CSO is also providing funding of £351,000 towards a UK-wide five-year programme of research, looking at the history of chronic pain in the community and exploring the effectiveness of treatment for chronic pain within general practice and community-based settings.

  More generally, CSO is aware of 2,291 ongoing or recently completed projects in the UK on pain in general (acute and chronic), 225 of which are in Scotland (including the six CSO-funded studies mentioned above). Details of all these projects are available from the National Research Register, a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  The results of the research projects undertaken throughout the UK will inform the future direction of research and treatment of pain.

NHS Staff

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7005 by Susan Deacon on 22 June 2000, how many consultant posts were vacant as at 30 September 2000, broken down by health board area and speciality.

Susan Deacon: Information on the number of consultant posts vacant by health board and specialty at 30 September 2000 is not yet available. The annual survey carried out by ISD is nearing completion and provisional data should be available in January 2001.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the economic value of the offshore industry to the economies of (a) Scotland, (b) the north east Scotland parliamentary region, (c) Grampian and (d) the City of Aberdeen was in the last year and how many jobs related to the offshore industry there are in each of these areas and in each parliamentary constituency.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Offshore activity is conventionally allocated to a separate region of the UK known as the Continental Shelf. The following figures exclude information for the Continental Shelf.

  The data provided is for group 112 of the 1992 Standard Industrial Classifications – service activities incidental to oil and gas extraction, excluding surveying. Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas is not included. The latest data available are for 1997. Data for Grampian are not available and it is not possible to provide data for parliamentary constituencies.

  





Total Employment
(000)


Gross Value Added 
at
Basic Prices
(£ million)




Aberdeen City Unitary Authority


11.7


1,026.8




North East Scotland Parliamentary 
Region


12.3


1,219.9




Scotland


12.6


1,243.9




  Source: Scottish Production Database.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent is of any shortage of available labour with the necessary skills to work in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Oil Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO), which is the National Training Organisation (NTO) for the oil and gas industry, recently commissioned from the Robert Gordon University an employment and skills foresight analysis for the industry. The report, published in March, identified current recruitment problems across all sizes of company in the oil and gas sector, particularly for people with technical and managerial experience. Action to address these problems is being taken by OPITO and by the industry itself.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to address any current skills shortage in the oil and gas industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Skills for Scotland: A Skills Strategy for a Competitive Scotland , published in March 1999, sought views on a skills strategy for Scotland. A response to that document, setting out a skills action programme for Scotland, is planned for publication in early 2001. In addition, the Oil and Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) is working with Oilcareers, an internet recruitment company, to develop new online careers and training advice, which will highlight the skills and qualifications required by the industry and aims to attract new recruits.

Recycling

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets local authorities have been set in relation to the recycling of waste other than household waste.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No recycling targets for local authorities have been set to date. These will be considered when the Executive has received guidance from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency following output from a working group which it has established as part of the implementation of the National Waste Strategy.

Road Safety

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to encourage local authorities to introduce 20 mph speed limits in residential areas.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is keen to encourage the wider introduction of 20 mph zones, which have proved to be very effective in reducing the number of accidents and the severity of casualties.

  Changes to legislation introduced in 1999 have given local authorities power to introduce 20 mph zones, where engineering measures are a standard feature to ensure that the zones are self-enforcing, and 20 mph speed limits, with or without engineering measures, at suitable locations. The Scottish Executive has issued guidance to local authorities on the introduction of 20 mph zones and speed limits.

Tourism

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates the change of name of the Scottish Tourist Board to visitscotland will have on the number of visitors to Scotland in the next year.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: I believe the change of name will have a positive impact. Scotland will become more visible to potential customers as a result of consistent branding especially the alignment of identity with the tourism website.

Tourism

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost will be of changing the name of the Scottish Tourist Board to visitscotland.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: No estimate of cost has been made. However, STB will strive to keep costs to a minimum.